Vita Vea: 'The day he retires, I retire' -- Buccaneers DT backs Todd Bowles
Bucs DT Vita Vea publicly defended head coach Todd Bowles, saying he'll retire the day Bowles does and that last season's collapse was on the players, not the coaching staff.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive cornerstone is making his loyalty clear. Vita Vea said he told head coach Todd Bowles that the day Bowles retires is the day he'll retire, too -- a striking vote of confidence as the veteran coach faces ongoing fan scrutiny.
MySportsUpdate (@MySportsUpdate): #Bucs DT Vita Vea says he told HC Todd Bowles that the day Bowles retires is the day he'll also retire. Vea made it clear last season's collapse was on the players, not Bowles. "He's giving us all the answers to the test. It's on us to execute."
Vea didn't stop there. He placed last season's late collapse squarely on the players rather than the coaching staff, insisting Bowles 'is giving us all the answers to the test' and that execution is the players' responsibility. The 320-pound nose tackle has been the anchor of Tampa Bay's front since 2018 and signed an extension that keeps him with the club through the foreseeable future.
Bowles, who took over in 2022, has weathered criticism after the Bucs fell short of expectations late in 2025. Vea's public defense lands at a useful moment, with the team betting on continuity on both sides of the ball as it chases another NFC South title.